Shoes with interchangeable and inter-zippable tops

ABSTRACT

A shoe with reversible and moveable tops is presented and includes fasteners, such as snaps or zippers, positioned all around the base of the shoe in order for the top half of the shoe to be changed. The tops are made of various materials and different styles, There can be full-covered footwear, sandal-type or any type of strapped shoe for women or men. Alternative embodiments comprise a sole, an upper, a leg shaft, a leg shaft extension, and a finishing collar that may be combined to create a distinctive shoe. The leg shaft and the leg shaft extension may have laces or vertical zippers to provide a better fit for the user. The finishing collar, leg shaft, and leg shaft extension are configured to provide a protective layer between zippers and a user&#39;s skin.

RELATED FILINGS

This invention has been previously disclosed in Disclosure Document Number 536219 dated Aug. 11, 2003, and this application is a Continuation-In-Part of, and claims the benefit of priority to, U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 10/922,366, entitled “Shoes with interchangeable and inter-zippable tops”, filed on Aug. 20, 2004, and currently co-pending, which in turn claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Applications 60/497,052 filed Aug. 22, 2003, and currently expired, 60/499,647 filed Sep. 3, 2003, and currently expired, and 60/529,952 filed Dec. 16, 2003, and currently expired, with each application fully incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more specifically, to shoes having interchangeable parts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoes have evolved over the years from simple moccasins to more elaborate and sophisticated sneakers and athletic shoes. Despite these marvelous advancements in the footwear industry, there is nevertheless a challenge which exists with all footwear. Specifically, a shoe, once created, is unchangeable and therefore, presents a limitation to the wardrobe because the colors, styles and materials of the shoes as manufactured are fixed.

In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide footwear that can be changed according to the wearer's desired style and wardrobe requirements, such as color and shape.

The invention is a shoe with reversible and moveable tops. There are snaps all around the base of the shoe in order for the top half of the shoe to be changed. Tops are made of various materials and different styles. There can be full-covered footwear, sandal-type or any type of strapped shoe for women or men.

The footwear of the present invention provides for a wardrobe solution in that the tops of the shoes may be modified as desired in order to change the appearance and structure of the footwear. In a preferred embodiment, the upper portion, or top, of the footwear can be removed and interchanged with another top to provide a different appearance.

Additional embodiments of the present invention include tops with no laces, one or more elastic bands spanning the top to hold the shoe on a wearer's foot, reversible pull zippers, multi-colored zippers, and designs having a high or low top, a high or low heel, and a high or low sole. Other embodiments allow multiple tops to be stacked upon one another to create a custom boot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the shoe of the present invention showing a shoe sole having a heel and equipped with an array of fasteners attached to the side of the sole, and having an interchangeable top attached to the fasteners to form the top of the shoe;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the shoe of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 with one side of the top detached from the sole illustrating the removable nature of the top;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a top for use in conjunction with the sole shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and having an array of fasteners for positioning over corresponding fasteners on the sole and showing an image or ornamental feature (in dashed lines), and possibly having a different shape (also shown in dashed lines);

FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention having fasteners positioned around the most of the perimeter of the sole;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of a top of the present invention having a different outer contour and shape;

FIG. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention having a front cover and a back portion both attached to the fasteners of the sole;

FIG. 7-11, each containing images A-D, are all examples of tops of the shoe of the present invention and are intended to show the virtually unlimited number of tops which can be interchanged on the shoe of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention having a substantially flat sole;

FIG. 13 is an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention showing a sole equipped with a pair of zippers to receive corresponding zippers on the top;

FIG. 14 is a view of the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 13, with one zipper of the top undone showing the detachable nature of top and shoe;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a top of the present invention showing the zippers on the sides of the top and with a portion of the top shown turned over to demonstrate the dual-sided tops which provide for a different aesthetic appearance of the shoe of the present invention by unzipping the top, turning it over, and re-attaching it to the sole of the shoe of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a full-cover upper having a perimeter zipper extending around the entire shoe sole to provide for the removal of the upper from the sole, and reversal and reattachment of the same upper, or replacement with another upper;

FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 16, with dashed lines showing the direction of attachment and the zipper separated into two portions;

FIG. 18 is perspective view of the upper of the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, showing the inside surface of the upper having a different appearance than the outside surface of the upper;

FIG. 19 is another alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a sneaker-type sole having a fully removable and reversible upper attached to the sole with a perimeter zipper;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a customizable boot having a sole, an upper, and a leg extension;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a customizable boot having a sole, an upper, a middle extension, and a leg extension;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention showing yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a customizable boot having a sole, an upper, an middle extension, and a leg extension where the middle extension and the leg extension further comprise laces and vertical zippers; and

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention showing the combination of elements from the several embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, a side view of the shoe of the present invention showing a shoe sole having a heel is shown and generally designated 100. Shoe 100 includes a sole 102 with a heel portion 104, a toe portion 106, and a heel 108. An interchangeable top 109 has sides 111 formed with eyelets 110 sized to receive a fastener 112, such as a snap or stud, or button. The sole 102 is equipped with an array of fasteners 112 spaced along the side of the sole 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shoe 100 of FIG. 1 is shown with one side 111 of the top 109 detached from the sole 102 illustrating the removable nature of the top. The top is formed with a number of eyelets 110. It is to be appreciated that eyelets 110 and fasteners 112 are merely exemplary of a preferred embodiment, and that any fastener known in the art is fully contemplated herein, including but not limited to Velcro, snaps, buttons, hooks, etc.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a shoe top 150 of the present invention for use in conjunction with sole 102 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Top 150 is formed with an array of fasteners 110 for positioning over corresponding fasteners 112 on the sole 102. Top 150 may include an artistic element, image, or ornamental feature 158 (shown in dashed lines), and possibly the edges 154 and 156 may be formed to have a different shape with contoured edges 154′ and 156′ (also shown in dashed lines),

FIG. 4 is a side view of a modified embodiment of the shoe 100 of the present invention having fasteners 114 added to fasteners 112 that are positioned around the most of the perimeter of the sole 102.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of a top of the present invention generally designated 200 having a body 202 having a different outer contour and shape 206, and formed with a number of eyelets 204, corresponding to fasteners attached to the sole of a shoe of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention is shown and generally designated 220. Shoe 220 includes a sole 222 having a heel portion 224 and a toe portion 226 with an array of fasteners 228 attached to the sides of the sole 222. A heel 230 extends downward from sole 222, but it is to be appreciated that shoe 220 may have a taller heel, a shorter heel, or no heel without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also, shoe 220 is shown having a front cover 232 over at least a portion of toe portion 226, and a back cover 234 around at least a portion of heel portion 224, with covers 232 and 234 both attached to the fasteners of the sole.

FIG. 7-11, each containing images A-D, are all examples of tops of the shoe of the present invention and are intended to show the virtually unlimited number of tops which can be interchanged on the shoe of the present invention. A brief summary of each of the designs is presented below, but is to be understood as merely exemplary and not limiting.

FIG. Brief Description 7A A shoe having a twin strap in the form of an “X” across the toe portion of the shoe 7B A shoe having a single, wide strap across the toe portion 7C A shoe having a dual strap parallel across the toe portion of the shoe 7D A shoe having a string laced across the front portion of the shoe 8A A shoe having a cover over part of the front portion of the shoe 8B A shoe having a combination of a strap and a tie string over the foot 8C A shoe having a cover formed with cut-out portions over the foot 8D A shoe having a cover over the toe portion of the shoe, and a back support piece to provide heel support at the heel portion of the shoe 9A A shoe having a narrow strap with an ornamental center buckle 9B A shoe having a cover over the front of the foot with cut-out portions 9C A shoe having two straps in an “X” pattern over the front of the shoe and a strap attached to the heel portion and wrapping around the ankle for attachment to fasteners on the sole 9D A shoe having a cover formed with larger cut-out panels on the foot portion of the shoe 10A  A shoe having a cover formed put of mesh material 10B  A shoe having a cover resembling a traditional sneaker or tennis shoe with an entirely enclosed foot cover having a tongue and laces 10C  A shoe having a chain cover 10D  A shoe having a cover with a leopard, or other design or pattern 11A  A shoe having a cover with a zebra stripe pattern 11B  A shoe having a child-oriented pattern, such as balloons 11C  A shoe having an abstract pattern consisting of shapes 11D  A shoe having thin straps which loop over the fasteners and which may be made of an elastic material

FIG. 12 is an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention that is generally designated 280. Shoe 280 includes a substantially flat sole 282 and a top 284. Fasteners 286 extend from sole 282, and receive eyelet or button hole 288. In this embodiment, eyelet 288 is oriented in an up/down direction, as compared to the side-to-side direction of shoe 100.

Materials for use in the present invention are virtually limitless, and include all materials known in the art as applied to shoes. These materials may include, but are not limited to, leather, canvas, rubber, plastic, vinyl, cotton, nylon, or the like. Tops can be made from similar materials, as well as traditional metals such as chrome, brass, and stainless steel, for example.

Alternative Embodiments

Referring now to FIG. 13, an alternative embodiment of the shoe of the present invention showing a shoe sole having a heel is shown and generally designated 300. Shoe 300 has a sole 302 having a heel portion 304 and a toe portion 306, and may be formed with a raised heel 308. A detachable and interchangeable top 310 is attached to sole 302. More specifically, a fixed zipper portion 312 is firmly attached to the sole 302, and is designed to receive a zipper 314 for attaching a removable zipper portion 316 of top 310. FIG. 13 depicts the shoe 300 of the present invention with a top 310 firmly attached to the sole 302, and ready for use.

By moving zipper 314 in direction 317, the top 310 may be removed from the sole 302. For instance, referring now to FIG. 14, top 310 is shown partially detached from sole 302 as zipper 314 was moved in direction 317 such that removable zipper portion 316 is detached, or “unzipped” from fixed zipper portion 312. Conversely, top 310 may be reattached to sole 302 by placing removable zipper portion 316 adjacent fixed zipper portion 314, and urging zipper 314 in direction 318,

It is to be appreciated from FIGS. 13 and 14, that top 310 may be completely detached from sole 302. In fact, shoe 300 of the present invention may be equipped with several, interchangeable tops 310, which can be easily and simply detached, or “unzipped” from sole 302, and changed in a matter of seconds to provide a shoe having a different fashion and aesthetic appearance.

Referring to FIG. 15, a top 310 of the present invention is shown having a left and right removable zipper portion 316. In a preferred embodiment, a first panel 320 of top 310 may be of a first material, and a second panel 322 (shown turned over in dashed lines) may be formed of a second material. First material and second material may be similar materials, such as with different colors, or different materials altogether, such as cloth and leather. The top 310 of the present invention is both interchangeable (changing one top 310 for another top 310), as well as reversible so that a single top 310 may provide two different styles, colors, textures, or imprints,

Upper edge 324 and lower edge 326 can be contoured to provide a distinct visual appearance, and may have shapes consistent with the other embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein. Also, panels 320 and/or 322 may be produced with a design, such as heart-shaped embroidery 328 (shown in dashed lines).

While several different embodiments of the shoe of the present invention have been shown herein, it is to be appreciated that these embodiments are not exclusive. Rather, the present embodiments are exemplary of the preferred embodiments, and that other embodiments of the present invention may be constructed by mixing and combining various aspects of the presently preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 16, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 400. Shoe 400 includes a sole 402 having a heel 404 and equipped with a full-cover upper 406 having a perimeter zipper 408 extending around the entire shoe sole 402 to provide for the removal of the upper 408 from the sole 402. Upper 408 may be removed from sole 402 by advancing zipper 410 in direction 412 around the entire sole 402. Once removed, the upper 406 may be reversed and reattached to sole 402. Alternatively, instead of using the same upper 406, a separate upper (not shown) may be attached to sole 402 to provide an alternative visual effect, or a different style of upper.

With reference to FIG. 17, the shoe 400 of FIG. 16 is shown in an exploded view, with dashed lines 416 showing the direction of attachment of the upper 406 from sole 402, and the zipper 408 separated into two portions 408A and 408B.

In a preferred embodiment, upper 406 may be made from any materials known in the art, including but not limited to denim, canvas, leather, and terry cloth. From FIG. 18, a perspective view of the upper 406 of the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, shows the inside surface 420 of the upper 406 having a different appearance, color, texture, and/or material than the outside surface 418 of the upper 406. This provides for the detachment of the upper 406 from sole 402 and reversal of the upper 406 such that outside surface 418 becomes inside surface 420 thereby exposing inside surface 418. Once reversed, the upper 406 may be re-attached to sole 402 with zipper 408 by placing zipper portion 408A adjacent zipper portion 408B and advancing zipper 410 around the sole 402.

Laces 414 may be positioned on the upper 406 such that the shoe 400 may be tied upon the wearers foot simply by reversing the position of the bow. This provides for a fully reversible upper. Alternatively, instead of laces, a strap of elastic material known in the art may be used to maintain the upper 406 securely on the wearers foot.

Referring now to FIG. 19, another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 450. Shoe 450 is a sneaker-type shoe having a sole 451 with a slight sneaker-type heel 452 integrally molded into the sole 451. Shoe 450 includes a fully removable and reversible upper 454 attached to the sole 451 with a perimeter zipper 456 with a grip 458. Detaching the upper 454 from sole 451 is achieved by advancing grip 458 in direction 460 around sole 451. As with shoe 400, upper 454 may be fully reversed, or replaced, to provide a shoe 450 having a varying appearance and look. A clog-style shoe for the present invention may be created using a wooden sole.

Referring now to FIG. 20, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 500. Shoe 500 consists of a sole 502 having a first zipper portion 504 a permanently attached to perimeter of the sole 502, and an upper having the second zipper portion 504 b attached to lower perimeter of the upper and a first zipper portion 508 a attached to the upper perimeter of the upper. Shoe 500 further comprises a leg extension 510 having a second zipper portion 508 b attached to the leg extension's 510 lower perimeter. In use, sole 502 mates with upper 506 by zipping together zipper portions 504 a and 504 b using zipper slider 505. Zipper 504 is a reversible zipper such that zipper portions 504 a and 504 b may first be mated at either end using zipper slider 505 then joined by sliding zipper slider 505 along the length of zipper 504. Upper 506 is reversible such that a wearer may separate upper 506 from sole 502, reverse upper 506 such that the upper's interior 507 (not shown, see FIG. 23) becomes a new exterior for upper 506 and the original exterior of upper 506 becomes the new interior 507. The reversible nature of zipper 504 and zipper slider 505 allows upper 506 to mate with sole 502 regardless of the surface of upper 506 used for the exterior. It is to be appreciated by one skilled in the art that sole 502 may be of varying thicknesses as well as upper 506 may extend up the wearer's leg to different points on the wearer's leg. For example, upper 506 may be designed to fully cover the wearer's ankle where different design may have upper 506 extend up to just below the wearer's ankle.

Also shown in FIG. 20 is leg extension 510 attached to upper 506 using zipper 508, which consists of zipper portion 508 a located on the top perimeter of upper 506 and zipper portion 508 b located on the bottom perimeter of leg shaft 510. Similar to zipper 504, zipper 508 is reversible thereby allowing leg shaft 510 to be turned inside out, such that interior 511 becomes a new exterior for leg shaft 510, and still capable of being attached to upper 506 by using zipper 508.

It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that the various portions of shoe 500 may have differing physical dimensions without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, sole 502 may be of a high platform design, as shown in FIG. 20, or a low platform design. Further, leg shaft 510 may be of various heights to allow a wearer to customize boot 500 for the wearer's specific height or leg length. Further, sole 502, upper 506, and leg shaft 510 may be constructed from any suitable material known in the industry, such as leather, faux leather, canvas, and flexible plastics, may be any color and texture, and may have a design image or pattern applied to one or more of the shoe's 500 surfaces.

Referring now to FIG. 21, a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 520, shoe 520 comprises sole 502, upper 506, and leg shaft 510. Boot 520 further comprises leg shaft extension 512. A wearer may use leg shaft extension 512 to add extra height to shoe 520. For example, without leg shaft extension 512, shoe 520 may come to the middle of a wearer's calf. With leg shaft extension 512, shoe 520 comes to the wearer's knee, thereby creating a different look and feel for shoe 520.

To assemble shoe 520, leg shaft extension 512 is connected to upper 506 by mating zipper portion 508 a with zipper portion 514 a, located along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 512, using slider 509. As discussed above, zipper portions 508 a and 514 a, along with slider 509, are reversible thereby allowing for leg shaft extension 512 to be turned inside out thereby making original interior 515 the new exterior of leg shaft extension 512. Leg shaft 510 connects to the top of leg shaft extension 512 using zipper portion 508 b mated with zipper portion 514 b, located along the top perimeter of leg extension 512, using slider 516. The zipper combination of zipper portions 508 b and 514 and slider 516 is reversible to allow leg shaft 512 to be turned inside out.

Moving on now to FIG. 22, another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated 530. Shoe 530 consists of sole 502 and upper 506 connected using zipper 504 and a slider (not shown). Connected to upper 506 is leg shaft extension 532. Leg shaft extension 532 comprises zipper portion 534 a attached along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 532 and zipper portion 534 b attached along the top perimeter of leg shaft extension 532. Leg shaft extension 532 further comprises a lace portion 537, which comprises first lace tab 537 a and second lace tab 537 b, both of which run from the bottom perimeter of leg shaft extension 532 proximate zipper portion 534 a to the top perimeter of leg shaft extension 532 proximate zipper portion 534 b. Lace 538 laces together lace tabs 537 a and 537 b, Also running from top to bottom of leg shaft extension 532, and between lace tabs 537 a and 537 b, is tongue 548. Lastly, leg shaft extension 532 also comprises a zipper 536, which also runs from the top to the bottom of leg shaft extension 532, and zipper slider 539.

Lastly, shoe 530 further comprises leg shaft 540. Leg shaft 540 comprises zipper portion 542 located along the bottom perimeter of leg shaft 540. Leg shaft 540 also comprises lace portion 546, which consists of a first lace tab 546 a and a second lace tab 546 b. Lace 544 laces together lace tabs 546 a and 546 b. Located adjacent lace tabs 546 a and 546 b is tongue 548. Leg shaft 540 also has a zipper 550 and zipper slider 549, which run from the top to the bottom of leg shaft 540.

In use, a wearer assembles shoe 530 using sole 502, upper 506, leg shaft 540, and leg shaft extension 532. It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that a sole of one color and material, an upper of a different color and material, a leg shaft extension of a third color and material, and a leg shaft of a fourth color and material may be combined to form a distinctive shoe 530. Zippers 536 and 550 are disengaged by moving sliders 539 and 549 from the top to the bottom of leg shaft extension 532 and leg shaft 540 respectively, thereby allowing a wearer to more easily put on and take off shoe 530. Once the wearer puts on shoe 530, sliders 539 and 549 are moved from the bottom to the top of leg shaft extension 532 and leg shaft 540 respectively, thereby engaging zippers 536 and 550. The wearer then pulls on laces 538 and 544 until the wearer achieves the desired fit. After laces 538 and 544 are adjusted to achieve the desired fit, the wearer only needs to use zippers 536 and 550 to more quickly and easily put on and take off shoe 530. Since zippers 536 and 550 are reversible, leg shaft 540 and leg shaft extension 532 may be turned inside out while still allowing the use of zippers 536 and 540.

Moving now to FIG. 23, an exploded view of the embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 22 is shown. The exploded view demonstrates the modular nature of the present invention. FIG. 23 shows a sole 502 attached to upper 506. Also shown is the interior surface 507 of upper 506. Also shown is leg shaft extension 512. Lastly, FIG. 23 shows leg shaft 540 complete with lace 544, lace tabs 546 a and 546 b, as well as zipper 550 with slider 549. In use, a wearer may choose to use leg shaft extension 512 or leg shaft extension 532, or may choose to not use any leg shaft extension. If a leg shaft extension is not used, then the wearer attaches the leg shaft directly to the upper. Alternatively, the wearer may choose to use leg shaft extension 532 and leg shaft 510, thereby creating another distinctive look from the previous example. The wearer may also choose to not use any leg shaft or leg shaft extension, and only wear the sole 502 attached to the upper 506. The wearer also has the option to turn one or both of the leg shaft and the leg shaft extension inside out to expose an alternative feature, such as color, material, or texture. FIG. 23 shows the modular nature of this alternative embodiment of the present invention where a wearer may mix and match various components to create a distinctive look. It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that leg shaft 540 and leg shaft extension 532 may have zippers 536 and 550 and not lace tabs 546 a and 546 b or may have lace tabs 546 a and 546 b and not zippers 536 and 550. These several designs allow a wearer to mix and match the various components of the present invention to create distinctive looks.

Also shown in FIG. 23 is finishing collar 560. Finishing collar 560 is configured to attach to upper 506 and leg shaft extensions 512 and 532 by attaching zipper portion 562 to zipper portion 508 a of upper 506, zipper portion 514 b of leg shaft extension 512, or zipper portion 534 b of leg shaft extension 532. The finishing collar 560 is further configured with an inside flap 564 that provides a protective layer between a users skin and the interior surface of zipper portion 562. Located around the top of finishing collar 560 is pad 566. Pad 566 may be made from a covered foam material to enhance user comfort. Finishing collar 560 provides a finished aesthetic appearance as well as prevents any exposed zipper portions and edges from contacting and irritating a user's leg. The finishing collar may be made from any material similar to boot 500, boot 520, and boot 530. It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that zipper portions 508 b, 514 a, 534 a, and 542 may have a flap, similar to flap 564, to also prevent contact between the interior surface of the zipper portion and the users skin.

An additional configuration of the leg shaft and the leg shaft extension has the horizontal zippers starting and ending at the vertical zippers. This configuration allows the leg shaft or leg shaft extension to be separated and laid flat on a surface by fully unzipping the vertical zippers. This allows for easier storage of boot pieces and enhances the ability of a wearer to more easily put on and take off the boot. It also makes it easier for a user to turn the leg shafts 510 and 540 or the leg shaft extensions 512 and 532 inside out. For example, using FIG. 22, zipper 550 on leg shaft 540 may be located where lace tabs 546 are located. When zipper 550 is fully disengaged, and due to the fact that zipper 542 begins on one side of zipper 550 and ends on the other side of zipper 550, leg shaft 540 opens to lay flat. For leg shaft extension 532, zipper 536 may be located where lace tabs 537 a and 537 b are located, Zipper portions 534 a and 534 b would both start on one side of zipper 536 and end on the other side of zipper 536. As with leg shaft 540, when zipper 536 is fully disengaged, leg shaft extension 532 opens to lay flat.

It is to be appreciated by someone skilled in the art that flap 564 may be added to the bottom of leg shafts 510 and 540 and leg shaft extensions 512 and 532 to provide a protective layer between the inside surface of a zipper and a user's skin. The present invention as shown herein by preferred and alternative embodiments is merely exemplary of the variety of embodiments contemplated. It is to be appreciated that the features shown herein may be combined in different combinations to provide shoe of the present invention having various appearances and dynamic stylistic features.

Soles discussed herein may be made from any material known in the art, including but not limited to, wood, rubber, leather, and synthetic materials. Styles of the shoes discussed herein may include, but are not limited to, sneakers, tennis shoes, moccasin, slippers, sandals, boots, and other shoe styles known in the art. 

I claim:
 1. A shoe comprising: a sole having a zipper portion attached to the top perimeter of the sole and a zipper slide attached to the zipper portion; an upper having a lower zipper portion attached to the bottom perimeter of the upper and an upper zipper portion attached to the top perimeter of the upper, the upper zipper portion having a zipper slide; and a leg shaft having a zipper portion attached to the lower perimeter of the leg shaft, wherein the upper's lower zipper portion is oriented to match the sole's zipper portion, and the leg shaft's zipper portion is oriented to match the upper's upper zipper portion, and wherein the leg shaft is configured to extend up a user's calf such that when the sole is attached to the bottom of the upper and the leg shaft is attached to the top of the upper, a wearable shoe is formed.
 2. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising: a leg shaft extension having a lower zipper portion attached to the lower perimeter of the leg shaft extension and an upper zipper portion attached to the upper perimeter of the leg shaft extension, wherein the lower zipper portion connects to the upper's upper zipper portion and the upper zipper portion connects to the leg shaft's zipper portion thereby extending the leg shaft's length and the shoe's overall height.
 3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the leg shaft extension further comprises a vertically oriented first lace tab having lace holes and a corresponding vertically oriented second lace tab having lace holes, and configured to allow laces to be laced through the lace holes thereby allowing the leg shaft extension to be tightened around a user's leg.
 4. The shoe of claim 3, wherein the first lace tab and the second lace tab are vertically oriented along the front of the leg shaft extension.
 5. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the leg shaft extension further comprises a vertical zipper having a zipper slider, the vertical zipper extending from the bottom perimeter to the top perimeter of the leg shaft extension.
 6. The shoe of claim 5, wherein the leg shaft extension's lower zipper portion and upper zipper portion start and end at the vertical zipper such that the leg shaft extension lays fiat when the vertical zipper is unzipped.
 7. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the leg shaft extension if reversible such that the interior of the leg shaft extension becomes the exterior when the leg shaft extension is reversed.
 8. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the leg shaft extension is made from leather, faux leather, canvas, or flexible plastics.
 9. The boot of claim 1, further comprising a finishing collar, the finishing collar comprising: a zipper portion attached to the lower perimeter of the finishing collar: and a flap attached to the lower perimeter of the finishing collar and configured to provide a protective layer between the inside surfaces of the zipper portion and a user's skin.
 10. The boot of claim 9, wherein the finishing collar further comprises lace holes.
 11. The boot of claim 9, wherein the finishing collar further comprises a pad attached to the top perimeter of the finishing collar.
 12. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the leg shaft further comprises a vertically oriented first lace tab having lace holes and a corresponding vertically oriented second lace tab having lace holes, and configured to allow laces to be laced through the lace holes thereby allowing the leg shaft to be tightened around a users leg.
 13. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the first lace tab and the second lace tab are vertically oriented along the front of the leg shaft extension.
 14. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the leg shaft further comprises a vertical zipper having a zipper slider, the vertical zipper extending from the bottom perimeter to the top perimeter of the leg shaft.
 15. The shoe of claim 14, wherein the leg shafts lower zipper portion and upper zipper portion start and end at the vertical zipper such that the leg shaft lays flat when the vertical zipper is unzipped.
 16. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the leg shaft is reversible such that the interior of the leg shaft becomes the exterior when the leg shaft is reversed.
 17. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole has a heel portion distinct from a top portion.
 18. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole is a platform.
 19. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole, upper, and leg shaft are made from leather, faux leather, canvas, or flexible plastics.
 20. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper is reversible. 